New Campus for Hongik University, OMA South Korea higher education building, Architecture interior development images
New Campus for Hongik University in Seoul
21 November 2023
Designers: OMA / Chris van Duijn
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Renders by OMA
OMA to Design New Campus for Hongik University, South Korea
Seoul, November 21, 2023 – OMA / Chris van Duijn has won the competition to design the new campus of Hongik University in Seoul. The scheme will add a cluster of interwoven buildings and public spaces that meld with the existing topography, aiming to strengthen the connection between the university and the city.
Built in 1950s on the slopes of the Wau mountain, Hongik University is a private institution renowned for its art and design programs. Over the years, the university has reached the limits for expansion, isolating the campus from the adjacent neighborhood of Hongdae, an area known for its street art, local shops and nightlife. In 2023, thanks to an urban planning ordinance by the Seoul Metropolitan Government that eased restrictions for building on university grounds, an open field at the foot of the mountain was made available for construction and became the site of the project.
Chris van Duijn, Partner at OMA: “The new Hongik campus adds another chapter to OMA’s involvement in cultural projects in Seoul. This is a project that shies away from conventional labels: it is a building, a masterplan and landscape design all at once. It purposely avoids standing out and invites to be discovered gradually. In doing so, it aims to reestablish the connection the university once had with the neighborhood.”
OMA’s design maximizes the campus’ built-up area while inserting a significant amount of greenery. Conceived as a natural extension of the Wau mountain, the new addition is situated below ground level. The buildings are strategically positioned across the site, their roofs acting as paths sheltered by trees, which connect the university’s main access points with the Hongdae district. Between the buildings, sloping outdoor courtyards cascade downwards, encouraging students and staff to gather and interact informally. The courtyards bring light deep into the campus, linking the buildings in unexpected ways and forming a continuous sequence of outdoor spaces.
Programmatically, the new buildings are organized into interconnected clusters based on three sectors: high-tech laboratories, located close to the Engineering Faculty; amenities, placed at the center; and maker spaces, positioned towards Hongdae. In addition, a new art center will occupy the central buildings, while the perimeter will house a multipurpose learning hub. The floor at the level of Hongdae runs through all buildings, allowing one to move up or down no more than three floors. Its public amenities invite visitors in, turning it into the pulse of the campus.
“We have designed a campus that lets itself be ‘contaminated’ with some of the energy, spontaneity, and creativity of the Hongdae neighborhood,” says Ravi Kamisetti, Associate at OMA.
The winning scheme by OMA was chosen among five entries from established international practices, including SANAA, Herzog & de Meuron, Renzo Piano Building Workshop and David Chipperfield Architects.
The project will be executed by OMA’s Hong Kong team, led by Chris van Duijn. The office is currently working on mixed-used buildings including Hangzhou Prism and CMG Times Center in Shenzhen, and retail projects across China and South Korea.
New Campus for Hongik University, Seoul, South Korea – Building Information
Design:OMA – https://www.oma.com/
Status: Ongoing
Client: Hongik University
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Site: 29,837m2 Program: Education
Partner: Chris van Duijn
Associate: Ravi Kamisetti
Competition team: Ken Fung, Felicia Gambino, Xaveer Roodbeen, Jae Seung David Koo, Hyun Keun Im, Yi Fei Yuan
COLLABORATORS
Local Architects: dA Architecture Group
Façade: VSA
Structure, MEP and Sustainability: Arup Hong Kong Landscape: Office Parkkim
Visualization: Negativ
Model: OMA and RJ Models
About OMA
OMA is an international practice operating within the traditional boundaries of architecture and urbanism. AMO, a research and design studio, applies architectural thinking to domains beyond.
OMA is led by eight partners – Rem Koolhaas, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van Loon, Shohei Shigematsu, Iyad Alsaka, Chris van Duijn, Jason Long, and Managing Partner- Architect David Gianotten. Established in 2009, OMA Asia oversees projects in the Asia Pacific region, working across a wide range of typologies. The office’s recently completed works include the Hanwha Galleria, the Genesis Gangnam showroom, Chengdu Future City and the extension at the Beijing UCCA. Current projects include the Hangzhou Prism, CMG Times Center in Shenzhen, the new campus for Hongik University in Seoul, and various retail projects in China and South Korea.
About Chris van Duijn
Chris van Duijn is a Partner at OMA since 2014 and leads OMA’s work in Asia. He joined the practice in 1996 and has been involved in some of OMA’s most renowned projects such as Universal Studios in Los Angeles, the Prada stores in New York and Los Angeles (2001), Casa da Música in Porto (2005), CCTV Headquarters in Beijing (2012) and Prada Transformer in Seoul (2009). Among his recently completed projects are Hanwha Galleria department store in Seoul (2020), MEETT Toulouse Exhibition and Convention Centre (2020), Axel Springer Campus in Berlin (2020), the extension of Beijing UCCA Center for Contemporary Art (2019) and Genesis Gangnam car dealership in Seoul (2018). Ongoing projects include Hangzhou Prism, CMG Times Center in Shenzhen, and Simone Veil Bridge in Bordeaux.
New Campus for Hongik University, Seoul, South Korea images / information received 211123 from OMA
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